Disclaimer: Joss ended the series...He dropped the ball, I’m just picking it up and playing with it.

Author’s note: Thanks to my reviewers!
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Chapter 4: Through the looking glass

Buffy woke with a start. It was far too early in the morning to be awake. She couldn’t help but think that something terrible had happened. She slid out of Spike’s arms and trod down to the phone booth in front of her building.

“Buffy?” said Dawn as soon as she picked up the phone.

“Dawn is everything alright?”

“Hardly. The motel that Dad and Valery were staying at is gone.”

“Gone?”

“Destroyed.”

“Are they ok?’

“Ya but they’ve been detained for questioning. The police think that Dad’s been setting the fires. They want to put me in foster care. Willow did this cool magic thing and convinced them that I will be safer with you. They even offered a police escort to Cleveland.”

“Good cause the police will protect you,” said Buffy sarcastically.

“Willow hasn’t left me alone for two days, except to go to school.”

“Good. Can I talk to Willow?”

“Um now probably wouldn’t be a good time. Willow and Kennedy are sorta having a fight. It’s the first one I’ve ever heard them have.”
__________________________________________

“What do you mean you fell asleep?” said Willow.

“Hey I’ve been on the mission for a full 24 hours now, don’t you think I deserve to sleep?” balked Kennedy.

“Not when people’s lives are at stake.”

“I think I deserve back up,” said Kennedy, “ I don’t understand why Buffy isn’t here, protecting her family.”

“Buffy isn’t here,”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it? I’m not Buffy. I’ll never be the goddess she is, she’s perfect. You should hear yourself talk about her. It’s like she’s the god damn Virgin Mary or something.”

“Kennedy!”

“Don’t you even try to deny it. You are all in love with her! She can do no wrong, now that the
hellmouth is closed. I don’t know even why you are still in LA, You don’t want to be here. You want to be with her. You are afraid of yourself with out her.”

“No, baby that’s not true.”

“It’s not? I’m not blind Willow. She can do no wrong, even when it means leaving her family to the wolves. Excuse me but I gotta get back to the Summers. Someone has gotta give a flying fuck whether they live or die. Obviously you don’t.”
__________________________________________

Buffy returned to bed but could not fall asleep. Her Dad was going to die because she wasn’t there to protect him. Dawn was in danger too. Buffy moaned. She shouldn’t have left LA. She had to see Dawn safely away from harm, but where was that? The only thing that Buffy would thing of was with Spike. Buffy looked over at the sleeping Vampire. He had fought Glory for her, he had regained his soul for her, so many stupid thing because he had loved her. And she hadn’t clued in until it was way too late that she loved him. God she was stupid. Now something else was after her and her family and he would probably do something stupid sentimentalist crazy thing just to protect her. She might lose him again. She hugged him tight. No, she wouldn’t lose him again. She needed him. *When he wakes up I’ll tell him,* she decided, *and this time he will believe me.*

“Mmm” he moaned as he rolled to face her. He opened his eyes.

“You were awake?” she said with incredulity.

“Creature of the night, Slayer, it’s what I do. Also it’s hard to sleep when you are getting in and out of bed. You really need to invest in a better quality mattress.”

Buffy laughed, then the smile disappeared from her face.

“My Dad has been attacked again. Valery and he are fine but the LAPD are holding them for questioning. It looks like Dawn will be coming here a lot sooner than I thought”

Spike got up out of bed and started putting on his boots.

“Where are you going?” asked Buffy.

“To LA, to get Dawn. You were going to ask me anyway. I’ll be back before you know it, pet,” he said putting a brave smile on his face.

“You are too good for me, you know,” said Buffy.

“No, mass murderer remember? Liked to kill people with rail road spikes?”

“I have a vague recollection...” she smiled, putting her hand to her tattoo lightly.

“Don’t ponder it too hard. You might not want me back. Mind yourself while I’m gone. Whatever it is that is after Dawn is also after you.”

“Spike...” She said reaching for him and laying her hand on his bicep. “Take care of yourself too. I...I need you here with me. Don’t take too long or I’ll kick your butt.”
__________________________________________
Willow opened the Fed Ex box with eagerness. Inside lay the book that she hoped would end this whole mess. She flipped through the pages trying to find a relevant passage. Her ancient Sumerian was rusty, but she knew someone else whose translating skills were just a little better.
__________________________________________
Willow found Dawn outside her school at lunch time. She was surrounded by friends laughing and having a good time. It reminded Willow of her high school days, except without the monsters. And Oz. She had been thinking about him a lot lately and she had an idea why. Her fight with Kennedy opened her eyes, Kennedy was a brat. Hell, Kennedy had said it herself once. She wasn’t a Scooby, could never be one even if she tried. Kennedy wanted to be the slayer, deserved to have her chance at least. But Buffy was in the way. There was something in Kennedy that couldn’t forgive Buffy for being the chosen one. Willow loved Buffy, she was ‘best friend’ and no matter what Kennedy was to Willow there was no way she would ever be disloyal to Buffy. Not again anyway. That’s what the fight had seemed to be, Kennedy was trying to make her choose.

Dawn looked up and saw Willow. They waved at each other.

“Checking up on me?” said Dawn pleasantly as Willow came into hearing distance.

“No, not so much, really. I just came by cause I need your expertise on the translating,” said Willow placing the book on the table.

“Whoa, man, what smells?” said one of the boys at the table.

“It’s the book,” said Dawn calmly reaching for it, “It’s several thousand years old.”

“I spoke to Buffy this morning after you left. Spike’s on his way to get you.” said Willow.

“Cool, so I guess that means I’m Cleveland bound,” said Dawn.

“So you are good for the translating?”

“So totally good, I’ve got a spare this afternoon, to the library with me.” Said Dawn happily “It’s like back to normal for me, this whole sitting with friends thing was just far too weird,” said Dawn smiling at her new friends.

Willow could tell that they understood, obviously Dawn had told them some things about herself. Especially since Willow couldn’t help but over hear as she walked away one of the girls ask about Spike.

“Oh he’s so totally gorgeous, but he’s my sisters, so no touchy for me, besides he’s kinda like an older brother,” said Dawn.
__________________________________________

“So it’s a bust, there’s nothing in here that says anything about killing the Slayer’s family. There is a passage about the interminable knowledge of the Shadow men, the first watchers, but that’s all,” said Dawn dropping the book on the table.

“I guess then we will have to go with Plan B” said Willow.

“What’s plan B?”

“We send a Slayer in.”

There was a knock at the door. Dawn opened it to show Spike and Oz standing in the doorway.

“Spike!” said Dawn happily jumping up to hug him.

“Hey Nibblet, Big sis says hello.” said Spike, detangling himself from Dawn’s arms.

“Oz...” said Willow.

“Hey Will...” responded Oz.

They both were acting far too shy in Spike’s opinion. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out
Oz was still crazy about the witch.

“How are you?” Willow asked.

“Cramped, sitting in a car for 12 hours straight will do that to you,” Oz said throwing a bag down on the ground.

“Needed someone to drive during the daylight,” replied Spike.

“Makes sense to me,” said Dawn

Kennedy appeared in the doorway of the dorm room in a panicked state. She regained her cool when she found there was an audience.

“Willow the police station has been on fire. Valery is in the hospital,” said Kennedy.

“My Dad?” asked Dawn.

“He’s fine, It was like he wasn’t the target at all,” said Kennedy. “Who the hell are you?” she asked Oz. “Did the grand almighty Buffy send her Cleveland Scoobies to do the job she should have been doing herself?”

“I’m not a Scooby,” said Oz, “I’m a... friendly non human who helps when help is needed.” He winked at Willow.

“Good grief, not another vampire...”

Oz shook his head.

“Demon?”

“Kennedy, this is Oz, He’s a werewolf and my ex boyfriend,” said Willow.

“Whoa hold on, ex. boy. friend?” said Kennedy.

“Hey, the clock is ticking, I’d much rather be on the road stuck in the car than listen to a jealous girlfriend row.” said Spike.

“Spike’s right, we need to find out what’s going on here.” said Dawn. “Willow what was plan B again.”
__________________________________________

The group moved to an empty room on campus. The doors were barricaded. The shadow casting box was set up, the flame burned.

“So I’m going in there?” said Kennedy when the portal opened.

“And a big demon comes out,” said Dawn.

“And what happens inside?” asked Kennedy.

“Hopefully the shadow men the first watchers will be there to tell you, why they are killing the slayer and her family. Try to convince them to stop,” said Willow. “Try to find out fast cause will we’d like to keep the nastiness here as short as possible.”

“K” said Kennedy.
__________________________________________
Kennedy looked around her and the desert landscape. There was nothing here but rock and bugs.

“Hello, old guys! Slayer here seeking wisdom and all that, Hello!”

“You are not she,” said a voice from behind her, “You are false.”

Kennedy spun around to see 3 men dressed in colourful robes sitting around a fire.

“Oh ya well I am a Slayer and you can’t do anything about it.”

“Oh but we can, and will. It was us that made the first slayer the legacy must be retuned to what it once was. The blood of the slayer must be spilt and the relic must be returned to what it once was. This is our affair and you are as yet a false slayer, you have not been chosen.”

“Wait a minute, I don’t get it if the slayers blood must be spilt why is her family being attacked?”

“It is our affair, we created the first slayer and so this must be. To return the legacy the cycle must start a new. We have the blood of one”

“Weird much, so what exactly is wrong with having move than one slayer? More demons killed, less hassle.”

“The legacy must be returned.”

Kennedy felt something pull her back to LA and the empty classroom. Kennedy looked around at the people in the room. Willow was collapsed on the floor. Spike had nasty cut above his eye. Oz was bleeding from his lip. Dawn was hiding in a corner.

“Hope you didn’t enjoy yourselves too much while I was gone?” said Kennedy as she regained a standing position.

“Good times had by all,” said Oz.

“What did you find out?” asked Dawn

“They were weird, very cryptic. Kept talking about returning the legacy. They said they had to start the legacy from the beginning. The blood of the slayer must be spilt and the relic must be bathed, whatever that means.” said Kennedy

“The relic? What relic?” asked Dawn.

“Ooh, the scythe? That we took the essence of to create the spell. We have to bathe the scythe in the Slayer’s blood,” said Willow.

“Obviously not just her blood but the blood of her family too,” said Dawn. “Otherwise why would they be attacking Dad and Valery?”

“They said they had to start the legacy anew,” said Kennedy.

“Do you suppose that whatever they did to create the first slayer will happen again?” asked Oz

“Did they kill the first slayer’s family?” asked Dawn

“I don’t know I don’t know enough about this. We need Giles,” said Willow
__________________________________________
Buffy walked along a dark and empty Cleveland street. To her left lay a cemetery. She couldn’t bring herself to go in. Her mind was not focused on what she had set out to do that night, to slay. She was focused on Dawn, where she was and how she getting to Cleveland. Buffy hadn’t asked Spike how he was going to get to LA. She was worried that it was illegal. Spike could take care of himself, but with Dawn with him. She didn’t want them getting arrested by the police.

Buffy shook her head to clear it and headed into the cemetery. She immediately heard the sounds of fighting. She kept walking until she saw a tussle between a vampire and her favourite caretaker of cemeteries, Cleveland’s own vampire hunter, David what’shisname. Buffy rolled her eyes then watched him fight off the vamp. He was doing pretty well. It was clear that he could hold his own with one vamp, clearly not with two. Buffy chuckled to herself.

“Are you following me?” Gable asked once he had dusted his opponent.

“No, this isn’t your cemetery, I thought I would do my job in peace,” said Buffy.

“Maybe you should go back to wherever it was that you came from and leave. Clearly you aren’t needed here.”

“Thanks for the advice. I can’t go back and I think I can make up my own mind about when I need to leave. What is your problem anyway. I would think that you would be happy to have some help or are you still convinced that I’m a vampire too?”

“I’ve seen a lot of strangeness in my time, I’ve survived by not trusting anyone or anything, it’s kept me alive.”

“It’s also kept you alone, Don’t you have any friends?”

“No, they would get hurt if they knew. I don’t need to put anyone else in danger.”

“You are right,” said Buffy thinking about Xander, Dawn, her dad, and Anya. “People do get hurt in this line of work. People die when you fight evil. Anyway thanks for the lovely talk David, Maybe I’ll bump into you again someday.”

“Just leave me alone,” he said leaving the cemetery.

Buffy shrugged and kept walking through the cemetery hoping to find her own distraction to the miserable feelings that were bubbling inside her.
__________________________________________

Dawn, Spike and Oz sat in Mr Summer’s Sedan, enroute to Cleveland. Spike drove.

“We will know more once Giles arrives from England,” said Dawn trying to be cheerful. “Willow and Giles will find out what’s the weakness of all these shadow men and everything will be hugs and puppies again.”

“Sure it will, until the next big bad threatens you and yours again,” said Spike bitterly.

“It’s unfair.” said Dawn

“It’s incredibly unfair. You all deserve to have a somewhat normal life, don’t you think? But it never lets up. She’ll die, again saving some poor soul from death or trying to save the world from apocalypse once more,” said Spike passionately.

“Hey, I hear ya man, saving the world, it’s a thankless and never ending job,” said oz from the back seat.

“So how is Cleveland? Lot’s of demons and vamps to slay?” asked Dawn eagerly.

“Not so much” said Spike

“I heard from this guy I know that there’s this rogue vampire hunter in the central cemeteries, this human who fights vamps cause his dad was eaten like a decade ago or something,” said oz.

“Ya, what’s he like? is he cute? fun to hang out with? Do you think he’d be a scooby?” asked Dawn.

“No,” said Spike right off the bat.

“’Just no?” asked Dawn.

“He thinks your sister is vamp. He’s an ass. Better off without him,” said Spike.

“Protective much? Don’t want anyone moving in on your territory?” asked Oz.

Spike shot him an evil look in the rear view mirror

“‘Moving in on your territory? Wouldn’t it be you moving in on his territory?” asked Dawn as she swung around to look at Oz. She caught Spike’s look. “Oh, you mean Buffy”

There was silence for a while until Dawn could hear the gentle snores of the werewolf in the back seat.

“Spike, I wouldn’t worry about Buffy and the vampire hunter guy. You didn’t see her when you were gone. It was like after she came back from the dead. She couldn’t grieve for you, she wouldn't let you go. She avoided everyone for a long time. Willow said that she’s lost her coping mechanism to deal with tragedy. You, you were there when mom died you were there when she died. Angel tried to comfort her, god knows he tried but she couldn’t let him get close to her. I think she felt she would be betraying you. I know you love her. You’ve loved her for a long time. Just trust her,” said Dawn,” and hey I'm glad you are with Buffy, cause that Angel guy creeps me out, what is up with his hair?”

Spike smiled “You are alright bit.”
__________________________________________
Buffy tossed and turned in her bed. She had been unable to sleep restfully since she left LA but now it was worse for some reason. She couldn’t help but feel that she shouldn’t have left LA at all. Buffy heard someone try to get into her apartment. Instinctively she grabbed one of the stakes that was hidden under her bed. Then she heard the key in the door. It was Spike, he was back with Dawn. Buffy glanced at the alarm clock, 4 am. Buffy herself had only returned home a few hours ago from patrolling.

“Bloody lock,” Buffy heard Spike swear from the other side of the door.

Buffy lay back against her pillows, pretending to sleep. She heard the door open, two people walk in.

“Just put her down on the couch mate,” said Spike.

“Thanks mate,” said Spike after Buffy heard some struggle to put Dawn on the newly purchased couch comfortably.

“No problem man,” said Oz’s voice, “See you around”

Buffy heard one set of footsteps leave and close the door. There was quiet in the apartment except for the deep breathing of Dawn in the living room.

“I know you aren’t asleep,” said Spike whispering in Buffy’s ear.

Buffy opened her eyes and smiled, “I missed you,” she said wrapping her arms and him and pulling him into bed with her. She cuddled up with him like his was her teddy bear and drifted off to sleep again.
__________________________________________
“It’s only a theory of course,” said Giles as he looked at Willow’s research, “It’s all very hit and miss. We cannot be sure this will do anything.”

“But how about we try. It won’t hurt anyone. The shadow men already have killed Valery’s unborn child.” said Willow.

“Yes, the doctor’s report was gruesome.”

“We need to try something to make this stop Giles.”

“But what will happen if it does work? Will all the new slayers cease to be slayers and go back to being potentials or something worse? And what about Buffy? Will she be put through the ordeal of the first slayer?”

“Shouldn’t she be given all the info and make her own choice?” said Willow. “This affects her most of all. After all, what if after I do this thing, the Shadow men don’t want her to be the slayer anymore? Huh? Did you think of that?”

“No, that had never crossed my mind. I suppose it could happen. I have no watcher’s council Willow it’s not exactly easy to know what’s supposed to happen.”

“Look, I’m sorry about the yelling, but we are wasting time. Valery is lucky to be alive, it could be Mr Summers next or even Dawn. We need to hurry Giles.”
__________________________________________

“Can’t I just stay home today? Get my bearings? Come on, Buffy, just one day?” asked Dawn.

“No, I will register you for school this morning, then I’ve got to go apartment hunting and buy you a bed. Dawn it will be easier for me today if you were at school.”

“But how safe am I at school?” asked Dawn.

“She’s got a point, pet” came Spike’s voice from the single bedroom of the apartment.

“I knew it! The two of you would gang up on me. Ok but just today and you’ve got to stay with Spike. Which means you can’t leave the apartment,” said Buffy. “I’ll register you for school this afternoon once we know where we are going to live next month.”

“A month?” said Dawn “ You mean I have to sleep on the couch for a month?”

“No, you will be sleeping in the living room for a month. First task, Dawn needs a bed. Maybe you and Spike can pin some sheets to the ceiling and make a sort of sheet walled room or something.”

“Can I come? It is my bed after all. And Spike needs his sleep after driving and stuff,” said Dawn, “I’ve never been to Cleveland before. I’d like to see the sights.”

“Neither have I, and I’ve been here a total of 5 days!” said Buffy, “Get your coat. Let’s go.”

“Yay!” clapped Dawn.

“Goodie” said Buffy rolling her eyes. She smiled at Spike before she closed the door behind her.
__________________________________________
Buffy arrived home with Dawn several hours later. A bed had been purchased and would be delivered. Dawn had been registered for school and they had stopped by to pick up dinner. They had be been gone nearly all day. The sun was just setting. Spike should be itching to get out of the apartment by now. Buffy was itching to do pretty much anything else but shop. They had bought clothes for Dawn, a punching bag for Buffy and a new red shirt for Spike. It was Dawn’s idea for a welcome back to ‘this dimension of hell’ present.

Buffy opened the door with a sigh with bags of stuff, a pizza and a bag of blood in her arms. She nearly dropped it all as she saw Giles, Willow, Xander Andrew and Oz all standing in her living room with Spike.

“It’s not my birthday... Intervention? You are all my against my free spirited shopping nature?” said Buffy joking.

“No, no, like the happy shopping Buffy,” said Xander.

“Ooh, What did you buy?” asked Andrew heading towards the bags..

“I think we need more pizza, Buffy” said Dawn.

“Ya just a bit, and you!” she said pointing to Andrew “stay out of my business.”

“I’m sorry to crash in on you like this,” said Willow,” I think I’ve had to a breakthrough and we need to test it out, and we need you and Dawn to do that.”

“Cool, great, just like me get the blood into the fridge and we can get going.”

Buffy stepped over the bags and headed to the kitchen.

“Buffy...” said Willow in a sort of warning.

Buffy had already opened the fridge and saw a container labelled ‘Hank’ on it.

“What’s this?” asked Buffy lifting the container.

“We didn’t know when you were going to be back. We didn’t want it to go funky and we didn’t want Spike to drink it,” said Willow.

“Maybe you guys had better tell me what’s going on.”
__________________________________________

“So you want to pour my father’s blood, Dawn’s blood and my blood on the scythe thing and see what happens?” asked Buffy, “Don’t you know what will happen?”

“No really,” said Willow.

“There are a number of things that we think could happen. They spell that Willow performed over the Sunnydale hellmouth will be reversed and the slayer legacy will be restored... which will make you the only slayer again or...” said Giles

“Or nothing will happen,” said Willow, “either way no one dies which is good in my books.”

“I’ll go with that one, dying very much of the bad,” said Buffy.

“There is another caution though. From all we have both found out about that the shadow men are doing it appears that they are trying to start the legacy over again. Killing your family is synonymous with that process. They First Slayer was an orphan. Also it is by no means certain that they will not put you through what ever it was that they did to create the first Slayer and there is also the chance that you will not be chosen as the slayer this time,” said Giles.

The room was silent.

“Wow,” said Buffy at last.

“Ya,” said Willow, “craziness.”

“Well let’s get this party started,” said Buffy. She disappeared into her bedroom, taking her shopping bags with her, leaving the others to prepare.

Spike followed.

“Buffy?” he asked.

“I’m ok,” she said, “I went shopping today and came home to find out that the freedom that I've had, not being the only slayer in the world could be taken away. That’s not so bad you know. I’ve been the slayer for a long time now. I should be dead you know. Hey I was a few times. I guess I liked the idea of retirement someday. There should be someone to take my place and I could go live in the Bahamas or something. Now I’ve got to die again or I could not be chosen at all. I could live a normal like. Finish school, have a job, get married, die with fat grandbabies around my bed, who knows,” she said at break neck speed.

“You could still do all that you know,” said Spike.

“You know I don’t want a normal life... I’ve accepted it and I’ve moved past it. What if I’m not the slayer anymore? It’s all I know how to do. I guess I’ll have to wait and see what the Powers that Be have in store for me this time,” said Buffy pulling the scythe out of her weapons chest. “Hey before I forget, what with the ‘is Buffy the slayer or not’ debate, I bought you a present while we were shopping today.”

Buffy pulled the red shirt out from the bags and held it up to him.

“Buffy, thanks for the present, but you are changing the subject,” said Spike.

“It’s what I do, Spike, I’m avoid-o girl, always have been.”

Buffy walked out of the bedroom leaving Spike behind her.
__________________________________________

Willow had used her time effectively. Candles were lit in a circle around her. Buffy placed the scythe in Willow’s hands. Willow poured the jar of Hank Summer’s blood on the scythe. Dawn stepped forward and let herself be cut by the scythe and dripped her blood on it. Willow stood and handed the scythe to Buffy and exited the circle. Buffy entered and cut herself with the weapon.

“Nothing is happening” said Andrew.

All of a sudden there was a great vortex pulling intangible fields of energy towards the scythe from all corners of the earth. Slayers everywhere lost their powers. On a greyhound bus Faith woke from her slumber as her slayer powers were drained from her. In LA Kennedy found herself with out powers in the middle of her sociology class. In Cleveland, Buffy felt the drain of her powers too. As the vortex stopped, Buffy collapsed in the middle of the circle holing the scythe. Spike leapt into the circle to help her up.

“I feel terrible,” said Buffy as she stood up with Spike’s help. “I feel so weak.”

Buffy and Spike exited the circle and Buffy was helped on to the couch.

“There are no more Slayers,” said Willow. “I can’t feel any of them. What have I done?”

“The only thing you could do,” said Oz tenderly going to her side.

Willow was touched by his concern and smiled up at him from her prone position on the floor.

“What happens now?” asked Dawn.

“Indeed, I don’t even feel potential energy from Buffy,” said Giles.

“Maybe someone else has been called,” suggested Dawn.

“No, I would feel it,” responded Willow.

Spike offered to get Buffy some water. He had left her side for only moment before a bright light started shining from the circle.

“You have stopped the legacy,” said a voice from the green light.

“It must be restored,”

“It is not our legacy now, it is yours, watch them well.”

The green light struck Giles, Xander and Andrew. As if robotic they held Buffy as a demonic presence filled the room.

“Buffy!” shouted Spike lunging from the kitchen.

“No!” shouted Dawn, holding him back, “She has to do this.”

Spike and the others watched as Xander, Giles and Andrew dragged Buffy back into the circle and held her there. The Demon floated around mesmerizing everyone in the room until it settled above the circle. Dawn, Spike, Willow and Oz watch helplessly as the demon entered Buffy’s nose and mouth. Willow covered her ears as Buffy started to scream. Spike broke free of Dawn and pushed the three men away from Buffy. But he could do nothing. The demon was already inside her.

Suddenly her screams stopped and Buffy lay panting on the ground. Spike held her as she opened her eyes. She smiled.

“Hello,” she said, “I’m Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

tbc...